Chapter 4: Heartbreak

The days were incredibly short when snow came so he walked briskly down the tower and into the west wing. Coming to the oak door he knocked twice before entering with a vigor he thought was lost. X's figure was seen sitting on the windowsill looking out over the snowy fields before turning to greet him, her hair flowing in the wind. Once again he felt something stir inside him causing goosebumps to work their way up his arms and neck.

He shivered, shaking himself back to his senses. Sitting besides her they continued to talk into the later hours of the night. He would bombard her with questions which she all too happily answered even asking some of her own. He was captivated by every word and without realizing it he started to develop a new set of feelings. Feelings he didn't quite understand.

Then X told him why they had really come so far to this small planet. They had detected a powerful form of energy that shouldn't exist outside a certain plane of existence. X was sent to search for whatever object was causing this disturbance and remove it from the planet before it could cause any catastrophic effects. The process would take some time and they were hoping for his assistance in discovering and retrieving it.

The king instantly agreed without a second thought offering any resource at his disposal. A moment later he was appalled at his own behavior. Why had he offered that without asking for something in return he wondered. This was extremely out of character for the king but he pushed it to the side distracted by the new topic.

Days passed and his people assisted in the search, all the while he enjoyed his time with X. They grew incredibly close and the king enjoyed just being in her presence, walking through the halls and library together. They would talk about their personal lives and he opened up to them more than he had with any other. His carefully preserved facade crumbled before them.

He began to notice something was happening to him. His heartbeat became irregular and his mind became cloudy but he did not care. He couldn't get enough of the addictive feelings. It made him happy, another emotion that he never really felt or understood. X made him feel special and genuinely cared for. He didn't have to fake anything when it came to X which felt like a massive weight off his shoulders.

Many more weeks slipped by and the king awoke one morning with X in his arms. She was fast asleep in his embrace and he could feel his heart stir. Her soft messy white hair tickled his nose with every inhale. The rise and fall of her chest against his with each breath.

He brought his lips to her ear and whispered in three words that never felt more right and true. It was strange for him to think but he felt this was the happiest moment of his life, but sadly it would not last long.

That same day X became distant. He felt as if she was avoiding his touch. Their talks became uncommon and short, appearing like he was being pushed away. It all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly. The nights he had gotten so used to spending with her soon became lonesome and mind numbing.

His mind went into overdrive, playing out every moment trying to find where he went wrong. What was this feeling that made him sick to his stomach? What could have he done to make it all change so suddenly? Falling into a dark depression the king couldn't take it anymore; he confronted X, lost in these new emotions foreign to him.

X laughed and assured him he was overthinking it. Nothing had changed, they promised. The king smiled watching X's figure disappear around the corner. He felt better but still down at the thought of waiting any longer. The further X got from him the more he felt the urge to grab on and never let go.

Four days later he confronted her once more, this time in a rage. They hadn't spoken in almost a week at this point and he needed to know why. X did not so much as respond and looked upon him with no expression evident whatsoever. Turning away from him, X walked away without a word.

He became even more enraged, completely withdrawing contact as well. 'Why should he care, he was a king he could have anyone he wanted.' he thought vowing to treat her the same way she was treating him.

X left the castle immediately returning to the ship with the rest of her people. This took him by surprise but it didn't change anything.

More time went by and the anger was replaced by the incredible urge to be with her again. The loving people he surrounded himself with brought him no happiness like with X but only contempt and indifference. He found himself outside the large white ship begging for just a few words. He offered X anything he could give if she would just talk to him again. Only silence followed and he lost track of how many days passed.

"Stop…stop…no…" The unknown voice in his mind spoke again this time as broken statements rather than a question. Not paying them any heed, the static voice faded away.

He knew she could hear his plea's but simply ignored them.

'How could X do this to him? After everything they had done together. Was this my fault?' he thought.

After another week the king was broken, he didn't eat and his sleep was haunted by nightmares. He once again lost his sense of self falling to his knees below the ship. He had never in all his life shown weakness to others but at that moment he did nonetheless.

"I hate myself for coming back here… but I couldn't stop myself…I don't know why…I can't give you up…I don't understand…what did I do?" He spoke solemnly, his voice breaking between words.

All that followed was silence.

"I-I…Love you X. I can't imagine living life without you…I don't want to live like that anymore… so please…please don't go…"

It was quiet. Then suddenly the ship shook, as it came back online. A humming could be heard emanating from the center while it lifted from the ground. Once it was out of his reach a voice could be heard from above.

"Your…Pathetic." The words were cold and distant echoing through the surrounding streets but he knew it was X.

It was from the one he missed so much it hurt, but the words he received after all this time were far too cruel. Before his very eyes the ship parted the clouds and disappeared into the sky as quickly as it had arrived all those months back. It was gone and with it the person he felt he couldn't live without.

Hours passed with him kneeling in the soft white powder. It was deathly quiet with the area having been cleared of its inhabitants at the start. The king ran his fingers over the white metallic ring X had given him when he won the bet they had. This was all he had left of the person who caused him so much joy and agony.

He didn't want to feel anymore; he just wanted to return to the way he used to be. To forget the past year, to forget X. The knowledge and happiness he gained could never be worth the way he felt now. But he knew he could not forget and he could not move on.

The pleasant feeling growing in his heart shriveled up, replaced by something darker. It throbbed as he was engulfed by a flurry of emotions he had no experience controlling. Akin to a dam holding back the raging river the last brick finally came loose causing it all to flood free.

"What do…You…truly desire?" The static voice resurfaced asking the same question it had asked that night before everything changed.

The heavy snow falling over his face melted to join the tears streaming down his cheeks. This was the first time he ever cried and he found something so bitterly amusing about it. It started off slowly until it became an uncontrollable fit of bitter laughter. Pain wracked his body and mind as if a viscous poison was spreading throughout every corner. His skin burned and eyes grew darker with each passing second. Unnoticed to him something started to writhe under his flesh like hundreds of snakes.

Once he appeared to have calmed down the knight Dwayne trudged through the snow placing a hand on the king's shoulder. He felt a strange amount of heat emanating from his body.

"My liege…you must return to the castle. It is too cold to be-" The old knight's words were warm and caring but cut off nonetheless.

"Out…" the king whispered.

"What do you mea-" Dwayne tried to question him but was immediately cut off again.

"I…want them all out! Leave…all of you! Out of my castle!" The king turned facing the older man and screamed each word in an explosion of anger.